single · September 13, 1929

Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out

Bessie Smith

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This 1929 single release, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," is a stark, yet compelling, blues performance that captures Smith at the peak of her powers. The recording features a raw emotionality that has cemented its place as a blues standard.

• The song was recorded in New York City on September 13, 1929.
• It was released on the Okeh label.
• The track has been covered by countless artists across various genres.

Bessie Smith was an American singer, known as the "Empress of the Blues." She was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1929, she was at the height of her popularity, having recently completed her first film appearance in St. Louis Blues.